Hydrogen Water Reduces Nerve Pain Through Gut-Brain Connection
- Authors
- Xuejiao Zeng, Jiaqi Lin, Botao Liu, Zehua Su, Yongze Yu, Xin Li, Wenying Duan, Chunzheng Liu, Qianhao Hou, Jinyuan Zhang, Longqiu Yang, Xiaodong Liu, Bifa Fan, Lijun Liao
- Journal
- Pain
- Year
- 2025
- DOI
- 10.1097/j.pain.0000000000003830
- Study Type
- Mouse
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Neuropathic Pain
- Body System
- Nervous System
TL;DR
Hydrogen-rich water (HRW) alleviates neuropathic pain in mice by restoring gut microbiota, modulating bile acids, and activating TGR5-mediated autophagy.
Key Finding
Hydrogen-rich water reduced neuropathic pain in mice by restoring gut bacteria and bile acid balance, which activated a receptor (TGR5) that promotes cellular autophagy in nerve and gut tissues.
Summary
Researchers tested hydrogen-rich water in mice with nerve pain caused by spinal nerve injury. They found that hydrogen-rich water reduced pain behaviors and worked through a complex pathway: it repaired the damaged gut lining, restored healthy gut bacteria, changed bile acid levels (molecules made during digestion), and activated a specific receptor called TGR5 in nerve and gut tissues, which triggered a cellular cleanup process called autophagy.
Practical Takeaway
This is an animal study showing a potential mechanism for how hydrogen-rich water might help with nerve pain, but human evidence is needed before any health claims can be made. The study suggests the gut-brain connection may be important in pain management, but the findings cannot yet be applied to people without clinical trials.
Abstract (excerpt)
Neuropathic pain is a chronic, intractable condition characterized by a complex pathogenesis. Hydrogen-rich water (HRW) has been reported to have possible analgesic properties, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. To investigate the effects of HRW, we utilized an L4 spinal nerve ligation…